Rapid-fire ordnance.



No. 798,882. PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905.

J. W. DEARBORN. RAPID FIRE ORDNANGE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB-11. 1904.

' 7 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905..

s T E E H 8 7 J, W. DEARBORN.

RAPID FIRE ORDNANUE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB-.11. 1904.

am H Ill-I ll' ll'll i QM PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905.

J. W. DEARBORN. RAPID FIRE ORDNANGE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB. 11. 1904.'

7 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

PATBNTED SEPT. 5, 1905.

w H m I J. WLDEARBORN. RAPID FIREORDNANGE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11. 1904.

Wdr'zesses:

PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905.

I. W. DEARBORN.

RAPID FIRE ORDNANGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB..11. 1904.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

w MQ

Wizn ass 65:

No. 798,882. PATENTBD SEPT. 5, 1905. J. w. DEARBORN.

RAPID FIRE ORDNANGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.11, 1904.

7 SHEETSSHEBT 6,

Witnesses: 4 MW ill r'lziw' WM by F7: MW Alff s J. W. DEARBORN, RAPID FIRE ORDNANGE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED MAR 11 1904 PATENT oF IoE.

J OllN \V. DEA RBORN, OF DERBY, OONNEO'llOU'lT.

RAPID-FIRE ORDNANCE- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 11. 1904. Serial No. 197,715.

Patented Sept."l5, 1906.

To 11]] who! it 'nm/y concern:

- Be it known that I, JOHN W. DuARnoRN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Derby, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Rapid-Fire Ordnance, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming part of the same.

My present invention relates to ordnance, and particularly to the class of rapid-fire guns, and has for its object to provide such a gun which shall be simple in structure, and therefore easily made, of durable construction, efficicnt and rapid in operation, and not liable to be put out of order.

It consists in certain novel features and combinations hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention will be more readilyunderstood when explained in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a. side elevation of what 1 consider the most advantageous embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the breech, showing the breechblock in raised position; Fig. 2, a side view of the breech-block, showing the inclinationgrooves therein, the pitch of the grooves and the pitch of the rear wall being exaggerated to illustrate the relation of these surfaces to each other and to the front wall of the block. Fig. 3 is a similar view, but with the breechblock lowered. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the breech on line 1V IV of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a horizontal longitudinal section on line V V of Fig. 2. Figs. 6, '7, and 8 are detail views of parts of the breech mechanism. Fig. 9 is a transverse section on line 1X IX of Fig. 1, showing the bearings for the recoil of the gun and the clamp for securing the gun against movement on its trunnions. Fig. 10 is a detail view of part of the trunnion-clamp. Fig. 11 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 9, showing another form of trunnion-clamp.

Figs. 12, 13, and 1 1 show details of the firing mechanism, the first two being horizontal and vertical sections, respectively, of the breech. Figs. 15 and 16 are sectional views illustrating recoil checking mechanism designed more particularly for small-caliber guns.

Referring to Figs, 1, 9, and 11, 1 indicates the rocking slide or cradle for the gun 2, having trunnions 3 4, working in suitable bearings 5 6, carried by the trunnion-fork 7. Recoil-checking mechanism 8 of any suitable 9, 10, and 11.

construction is provided to check the recoil.

and return the gun to firing position.

The manner of mounting the gun in its carrier is one of the novel features of my invention and is illustrated typically in Figs. 1 and 9.

The inner diameter of the cradle is somewhat greater than the outer diameter of the gun to permit expansion by the heating of the latter. At one or more pointsas, for example, at the ends of the vertical diameter, and preferably on the gun-I provide projections 9 10, coacting with grooves in the cradle, as shown.

The lower projection or tongue ishigh enough to raise the gun well up from the cradle, so that the weight of the latteris borne entirely bythe groove, while at the same time the upper groove is deep enough to clear the upper tongue. The expansion of the metal constituting the tongues will of course be slight relative to the'body of the gun on account of the difference in dimensions, and there need therefore be only small clearance between the sides of the tongues and grooves to prevent binding by expansion. The result is that although there is a large space around the body of the gun itself to allow for expansion looseness of the gun in the rocking slide when cold is substantially overcome by reducing practically to minimum the surfaces which are actually in contact. The upper tongue or feather may also be provided with a longitudinal groove 11, engaged by a stud 12, screwed or otherwise secured in the cradle to prevent the gun from sliding out of the cradle when the recoil-cylinder is disconnected or removed.

The novel devices which I have designed for clamping the gun against vertical oscillation on the trunnions are shown in Figs. 1, One of the trunnions has a central bore screw-threaded, as shown, to engage the screw 13. On the oppositely-threaded part 13 of the same stem is a clampingdisk 14:, having a tapered flange 15 extending into a tapered groove in the trunnionbearing. The disk is provided with a number of holes, as 16, adapted to register with similar holes in the trunnion, as clearly shown in-Fig. 9. In the registered openings are pins, as 17 which prevent rotation of the parts relative to each other. The pitch of the screw 13 being greater than that of the screw 13, rotation of the handle 18 toward the muzzle will cause the clamping-disk 14: to be carried outward, releasing the flange 15 from engagement with its groove and permitting the gun to he swung on the trunnion. When the flange and groove become worn, so that the operating-lever is no longer in the same relative position when the trunnions are clamped, the parts maybe readjusted. The clamp is unscrewed until the pins are out of engagement with the holes in the disk, whereupon the latter is rotated until succeeding holes therein are in register with the respective pins. The extent to which the disk is shifted will depend, of course, upon the amount of wear to be taken up. The clamping-disk will then be carried home when the operating-handle has reached its original and most convenient po sition. The modification shown in Fig. 11 does not provide for such an adjustment as that described. Here the clamping-disk 19 abuts against a collar 20 on the operating-lever instead of being screw-threaded thereon to hold it against the bearing 5.

The breech-block and its operating mechanism are shown in Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive. The breech-block 21 is mounted in a vertical opening in the breech and is connected by a link 22 to arms 23, carried by the hexagonal rock-shaft 25, journaled in depending bearof the stud 29.

ings 26, so that when the shaft is rocked by means of the lever 27 the block will be reciprocated in the breech. On one end of the shaft is a crank 28, having a stud 29. On the arm 30, Figs. 1, 4, and 8, is a pivoted stop 31, having a lug 32, the forward face of the latter being inclined, as shown in Fig. 7. A spring 33 holds the stop normally in the path When the gun recoils, the stud strikes the lug 32 on its inclined face, depressing it and finally moving on out of engagement therewith. When the gun is returned to battery by the recoil mechanism 8, however, the stud strikes the rear face of the lug and is prevented from moving farther. As the gun moves on the shaft 25 is thereby rotated, depressing the arms 23, lowering the block, and opening the breech.

By forward movement of the gun the arm or crank 28 is depressed, as described, and the stud 29 moves down across the face of the lug 32 until the stud falls below the lip 34 of the lug. (Indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 8.) The spring 35, Figs. 2 and 3, will then, if the handle 27 be released by the gunner, close the breech, the stud 29 passing under the lip 34 to the position shown in Fig. 8.

The chain 36, actuated by the spring 35, is connected to the rock-shaft 25 by a key 37, which has a finger 38 engaged by a link of the chain, as shown. The shaft is reduced, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3, to receive the lever 27, one side of the shaft being rounded or otherwise modified, so that the lever 27 and arms 23 will always be placed thereon in the same relative position. Adjacent the shoulder formed by the reduced part of the shaft and through the rounded side is a slot which receives the key 37. On the lever-hub 39 is an upstanding guide 40, registering with the slot mentioned, and in this the key 37 is pivoted at 41, so that when the tension of the spring 35 is released, as by withdrawing or loosening the screw 42, the key may be swung upward on its pivot out of engagement with the slot or groove, permitting the lever 27 to be removed from the shaft after disengaging the link and linger 38. The key 37 thus not only serves to key the operating-lever to the breech-shaft, but also as a crank to connect the shaft with the breechoperating spring.

The breech-block 21 is provided with guideribs 43 44, Fig. 5, working in grooves, as 45, Figs. 2 and 3. The ribs and grooves are inclined toward the gun, as shown. The amount of inclination may vary in practice; but I have found by practical use that an inclination of about three degrees relative to the face 46 will carry the block backward enough to operate properly. The ejectors 47 48 are pivoted to the breech in any convenient manner-for example, by means of studs 49, as shown. They are provided with ejecting-fingers 50, which fit in corresponding depressions 50, Fig. 3, in the edge of the chamber under the rim of the case 46, as shown in Fig. 5. On the inner sides of the ejectors are studs 51 52, which extend into grooves 53 in the adjacent sides of the breech-block. The lower parts 53 of these grooves are inclined forward relative to the face 46, but not so much as theribs and grooves before mentioned, preferably with about half the inclination of the latter. At the upper part the inclination is changed by a comparatively sharp turn, as indicated in Figs. 2, 2*, and 3, Fig. 2 showing the inclinations exaggerated and the lines extended. Thus the line a b shows the line of the front wall of the block, which in its closed position is parallel with the face 46 of the gun 2. The line c d indicates the pitch of the groove 53, while the line I; f indicates the pitch of the ribs 43 44, which is also the pitch of the guides therefor in the breechblock opening. While in reality these inclinations are very slight, the exaggerated showing in this figure will make it clear that the forward inclination of the grooves 53" is less than the forward inclination of the guides. It will now be seen that as the block is lowered the grooves 53 will carry the studs backward with great power by reason of the difference in inclination of the grooves 45 and 53". By this means the case is started from the chamber slowly, but with suflicient force to overcome any sticking due to bulging produced by the explosion. As the block travels farther, however, and after the case has been well started, the backwardly-turned parts of the grooves 53 reach the studs, and the ejec-' tors are thereby thrown quickly backward, giving the case a sudden impulse in that d1- rection sufficient to send it out of the chamber over the block and out the open end of the breech, as will be readily understood.

At the upper end of the backwardly-inclined part of each groove 53 is a pocket 54,

into which the stud slips at the end of its movement. The lower side of the stud is cut away, as shown, so that theedge 54 of the pocket engages the stud at such an angle that the edge as-the block starts upward will tend to carry the ejector still farther backward, and since the latter cannot move farther in that direction the block is locked and cannot be raised. When, however, the ejector itself is advanced, as by manual manipulation or by the rim of the case as the latteris inserted in the chamber, the edge of the pocket is cleared by the stud, which latter rises as the ejector swings forward on its pivot. The block is now freed and in rising will force the case home by engagement of the latter with the cam-surface 55 and by pressure of the face 56 of the block as the latter is carried forward by the inclined ribs 43 44 and grooves 45. It will therefore be seen that in the normal operation of the gun the breech remains open until a new case is placed well into the chamber. Otherwise the block, if accidentally released by the gunner, might strike the case before the latter had been advaced far enough to clear the horizontal part of the block, thus jamming the case and damaging the same, possibly discharging it, or in any event causing the operation of the gun to be interrupted.

Above the pockets 54 the grooves 53 are inclined forward again and are open at the edge of the block, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This permits the removal of the block from the breech. When the block is lowered below the normal position of Fig. 3, either against the tension of the springs 35 or after the latter has been released or has been disconnected from the shaft 25, the studs will strike an upper edge or stop 54 and prevent the block from falling farther. The chain 36 may therefore be disconnected or the shaft 25 or other connecting parts removed and the block will still be conveniently held in the breech. If it is desired to remove the block, the ejectors are advanced by hand until the studs clear the stop 54*, whereupon they will pass through and out of the inclined parts of the grooves, thus entirely releasing the block, which may now be taken out of the breech from below.

The firing mechanism which I have devised is typically illustrated in Figs. 12, 13, and

breech arranged transversely of the same is a scar 57, having acut-away part 57 in the path of the projecting arm 60" of the cocking-lever. The sear is held by a torsion-spring in the normal position shown in Figs. 2, 12, 13, and 14. When the'arm 60 moves down with the block, it will strike the flat surface of the groove 57 and rotating the sear against the tension of its spring will be permitted to pass to the position shown in Fig. 3. Upon return of the block, however, the sear now, engages the cocking-lever arm in such a way, as will be seen from the figures, that the pressure of the arm is exerted along a diameter of the sear, and therefore cannot rotate the same. Hence thearm of the cocking-lever is held, and the block continuing to move the lever is itself rotated on its pivot and the firing-pin retracted to its cocked position. If the sear be now rotated in the direction of the hands of a clock, as seen in Fig. 14, usually to the extent of about fifteen degrees in practice, the arm 60 will finally be released into the groove 57", permitting the firing-pin to advance and indent the primer. This rotation is effected by means of the trigger, (indicated by 60, Fig. 1,) which is suitably connected with a finger '57" on the sear.

The sear-spring devices and the connections thereof with the sear are so constructed as to be readily assembled or removed. The spring is substantially flat, having at one end a head provided with a knob 30", which fits into a socket in the screw 59. r A transverse pin 30, extending across the contracted part of the spring-head, permits rotation of the screw 59, but prevents the spring from being separated therefrom. The other end of thespring has its corners bent in opposite directions, as shown, while the adjacent end of the sear is slotted with spirally-curved slot-walls 57, as shown. -To assemble the parts, the sear is placed in its bearings and the spring then inserted. The lugs 28 enter grooves in the bearing, as shown, thereby preventing rotation of the spring and holding the same in fixed position. The other end of the spring strikes the curved sides of the slot in the sear and passes into the same, the sear rotating, if necessary, to permit such movement. When the spring advances far enough, the bent corners or lips of the same drop into a transverse opening or bore in the sear, as shown, holding both of the parts in firm but detachable engagement with each other. It will thus be seen that the scar and its spring, by reason of the fixed position of the latter and the spiral slot In Figs. 15 and 16 I have shown a recoileheck mechanism designed more especially for guns of small caliber, but adapt-ed, of course, for other ordnance also. In this construction 61 indicates the recoil-cylinder, havingscrewcd in its forward end ahead provided with a stud.

or stem 66, which extends through anopening in a lug 66, depending from the carrier 1, and is secured therein by nuts, as shown. Inside the cylinder is a spring 64, abutting at its rear end against the end of the cylinder and at its forward end against thehead 62 of a hollow piston 62. The latter extends without the cylinder through a removable bushing 62 and is carried on through a lug 62, depending from the gun 2, carrying on its rear end one or more nuts or stops 65, which limit its forward movement. Inside the hollow piston is a spring 65, abutting against an annular stop 67, screwed into the rear end of the piston. Its other end abuts against a stop 73, carried by a plunger 68. The latter extends through the annular stop 67 and out of the piston, as shown. The stop 73 is preferably screwed to the plunger, and to prevent rotation of the same on the plunger and consequent disturbing of the adjustment it is provided with lugs or projections on opposite sides of its periphery which engage longitudinal grooves in the inner surface of the piston, as shown; but by turning the plunger 63 it may be screwed in or out of the stop 73, thereby adjusting the tension of the spring 65 as desired. The free end of the plunger 63 is engaged by a book 70, screwed into a turnbuckle 70, into which is screwed another hook 7 1, engaging the chain 68, connected with the breech mechanism, as shown. 'The turnbuckle is preferably so threaded that one or two rotations of the same will relieve the tension of the spring 65 and the plunger 63 enough to permit the hook 70 to be readily disengaged from the plunger 63. The other hook 71 can then be easily released from the chain. As will be seen from Fig. 16, the contiguous ends of the hooks overlap, so that they are stationary relative to each other except longitudinally. To prevent the buckle from being accidentally turned so far as to release the hooks from the same, one hook is provided with a screw 72, which works in a slot in the other, as shown.

By constructing the recoil mechanism as described above the tension of the block-actuating spring 65 is readily adjusted and once adjusted may remain so, since the turnbuckle when manipulated to enable the breech mechanism to be disconnected from the springs can be easily restored to its original position. The buckle also serves as an accessory regulating means, as will be readily seen.

Guns constructed according to my inven tion, which is typically embodied in the form shown and described herein, have been subjected to the most severe tests and have met satisfactorily every demand made upon them. The fire of the gun is very rapid, and its operation is easy, steady, and certain.

What I claim is- 1. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with a breech having a vertical breech-block opening, of a reciprocating breech-block located in the said opening and formed in its side face with cam-grooves the lower ends of which are forwardly inclined with relation to the face of the block and the upper ends of which are rearwardly inclined, inclined guides located in the said opening for causing the block to move at an angle with respect to the face of the breech, and pivotal ejectors carrying operating-studs entering the said cam-grooves the forwardly-inclined lower ends of which have less forward inclination than the said inclined guides, the said studs being constantly engaged with the front walls of the lower ends of the said cam-grooves.

2. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with the breech thereof, of a reciprocating breech-block having cam-grooves formed in its side faces, the lower ends of the said grooves being forwardly inclined and the upper ends thereof being rearwardly inclined, pivotal ejectors carrying operating-studs entering the said grooves and constantly engaged with the front walls of the lower ends thereof, and means for causing the block to move at an angle with respect to the face of the breech.

3. In a breech-load ing gun, the combination with a breech having a breech-block opening, of a reciprocating breech-block, cam-grooves in the block inclined toward the face of the breech at a part of their length and away from the breech at another part of their length, pivotal ejectors provided with operating-studs entering the said grooves and constantly engaged with the front walls of the lower ends thereof, and means for causing the block to move at an angle with respect to the face of the breech.

4. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with the breech thereof, of a reciprocating breech-block having cam-grooves the lower ends of which are inclined forwardly with respect to the 'face of the breech, and the upper ends of which are inclined rearwardly with respect to the face of the breech, pivotal ejectors turning on pivots located to the rear of the face of the breech and carrying operating-studs entering the said cam-grooves and constantly engaged with the front walls of the lower ends thereof, and means for causing the block to move at an angle with respect to the face of'the breech.

5. In abreech-loading gun, the combination with the breech, and the block reciprocating ICC therein, of'pivoted ejectors adapted to engage the cartridge-case in the gun, studs on the ejectors, and cam-grooves in the block engaging the studs, said cam-grooves having pockets to engage the studs and lock the ejectors when their operation has been completed, and also having stops located immediately above the said pockets to engage the studs and prevent withdrawal of the block, as set forth.

6. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with the breech, and the block reciprocating therein, of pivoted ejectors adapted to engage the cartridge-case in the gun, studs on the 'ejectors, cam-grooves in the block engaging of their operation and to support the block against withdrawal, as set forth.

7. In a breech-loading gun, the comblnatlon with the breech, and the block reciprocating.

therein, of pivoted ejectors adapted to engage the cartridge-case in the gun, studs on the ejectors, and cam-grooves in the block engaging the studs, having stops for engaging the studs to prevent withdrawal of the block, said cam-grooves also extending upwardly in front of said stops and being open at their upper ends, to permit the studs to pass out of the grooves when disengaged from the stops, as set forth.

8. Ina breech-loading gun, the combination with the breech and the block to close the same, of a shaft, connections between said shaft and block whereby rotation of the shaft will actuate the block, a hand-lever on the shaft, a key arranged to lock said lever on the shaft, and means engaging the key to rotate the shaft, as set forth.

9. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with the breech and'the block to close the same, of a shaft connected with the block, a hand-lever on the shaft, a pivoted key arranged to lock the lever on the shaft, a spring, and means connecting the spring with said key, as set forth.

10. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with a breech-block movable in the breech, and mechanism for actuating the block, of a spring arranged to be compressed by the opening movement of the breech-block, and a turnbuckle for connecting the spring with the block-actuating mechanism, detachable without affecting the operative tension of the said spring, as set forth.

11. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with a breech-block movable in the breech, and mechanism for actuating the block, of a spring arranged to be compressed by the opening movement of the breech-block, means for adjusting the operative tension of the spring, and a detachable turnbuckle for connecting the spring with the block-actuating mechanism, detachable without affecting the adjustment of the operative tension of the said spring, as set forth.

12. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with a breech-block hiovable in the breech,

and mechanism for actuating the block, of a spring arranged to be compressed by the opening movement of the breech-block, a plunger actuated by the spring, means carried by the plunger for adjusting the operative tension of the spring, and a turnbuckle for connecting the plunger with the block-actuating mechanism, adapted to be readily connected and disconnected without affecting the adjustment of tllie operative tension of the spring, as set fort 1..

13. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with a breech-block movable in the breech, and mechanism for actuating the block, of a recoil-spring to check the recoil of the gun, a hollow piston actuated by the recoil-spring, a block-actuating spring in the piston, a plunger having an adjustable head engaging the blockactuating spring, means whereby the opening movement of the breech-block compresses the block-actuating spring, and devices connecting the plunger with the block-actuatingmechanism, adapted to be disconnected without affecting the adjustment of the block-actuating spring, as set forth.

14. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with abreech-block movable in the breech, and mechanism for actuating the block, of a recoil-spring to check the recoil of the gun, a hollow piston actuated by the recoil-spring, a block-actuatingspringin the piston, a plunger having an adjustable head engaging the blockactuating spring, means whereby the opening movement of the breech-block compresses the block-actuating spring, and a turnbuckle for connecting the plunger with the block-actuating mechanism, adapted to be disconnected without affecting the adjustment of the operative tension of the block-actuating spring, as set forth.-

15. In a breech-loading gun, the combina-- tion with the breech-block, and mechanism for actuating the same, of a spring for actuating :said mechanism, a hollow piston inclosing said spring, a recoil-spring engaged by the piston, a plunger in the piston and extending outside of the same, devices connecting the plunger with the block-actuating mechanism, and an adjustable head screw-threaded on the plunger having means engaging the piston to prevent rotation of the head, as set forth. I

16. The combination of a gun, a cradle in which the gun is mounted, a recoil-cylinder connected with the cradle, a hollow piston in the recoil-cylinder, a plunger in the hollow piston, a spring intermediate the piston and the plunger, connections between the plunger and the breech mechanism of the gun, and means for adjusting the tension of the said spring, as set forth.

17. The combination of a gun, breech mechanism therefor, a cradle in which the gun is mounted, a recoil-cylinder connected with the cradle, a hollow piston in the cylinder, a plunger in the piston, a spring intermediate the plunger and piston, connections between the plunger and the breech mechanism, means whereby the recoil and counter-recoil of the gun operates the breech mechanism,and means for adjusting the tension of the said spring,

7 as set forth.

18. In a gun, the combination with a rotatable sear having an axial slot in one end, of a flat, relatively fixed spring entering the slot to yieldingly hold the sear in operative position, as set forth.

19. In a gun, the combination with a rotatable sear having an axial slot with spirallycurved walls in one end, of a fiat, relatively fixed spring entering the slot to yieldingly hold the sear in operative position, as set forth.

20. In a gun, the combination with a rotatable sear having an axial slot in one end and a transverse bore or opening at the bottom of said slot, of a flat, relatively fixed spring entering the slot and having fingers engaging with the bore or opening to provide yielding resistance to longitudinal separation of the sear and spring, as set forth.

21. In a gun, the combination with a rotatable sear having an axial slot in one end, of a flat spring entering the slot, means engaging one end of the spring to hold the same in place, and means for preventing rotation of said end of the spring, as set forth.

JOHN W. DEARBORN.

Witnesses:

SUSAN B. CHENEY, WILLIAM L. BARNETT. 

